Automatically configuring hearing assistive device

• US 8,094,848 B1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frerking, Melvin Duane, Hirvela, George O'Quinn
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US11/379,812
• Time in Patent Office: 2,087 Days
• Field of Search: 381314-315, 381/323
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing

Abstract

An adjustable hearing assistive device that automatically configures to the hearing needs of a user. The adjustable hearing assistive device can be in the form of a hearing aid that includes a presence activated sensor adapted to receive setting data, hearing processing circuitry adapted to receive sound and manipulate an audio signal, and a controller adapted to configure the processing circuitry in response to the setting data so that sound output to a user is in accordance with the hearing needs of the user. The setting data can include settings for a default mode of operation or temporary settings for use when the user is in a particular environment. Setting data can be provided by a hearing profile tag in the form of an RFID tag and the presence activated sensor can be an RFID reader.

Claims

1. A hearing assistive device, comprising:

a housing molded to fit in an ear of a user of the hearing assistive device, the housing including a hearing profile tag module adapted to provide setting data; and

an adjustable hearing assistive module adapted to receive the setting data from the hearing profile tag module;

wherein the housing and the adjustable hearing assistive module are releasably engageable so that the adjustable hearing assistive module can be readily removed from the housing and the adjustable hearing assistive module can be replaced into the housing or another adjustable hearing assistive module can be placed into the housing; and

wherein the adjustable hearing assistive module comprises;

a presence activation sensor adapted to activate the adjustable hearing assistive module to receive setting data from the hearing profile tag module in response to detecting a presence of the hearing profile tag module;

hearing assistive circuitry adapted to receive and manipulate sound; and

a controller coupled to the sensor and the hearing aid circuitry, the controller adapted to receive the setting data from the sensor and adjust the settings of the hearing aid circuitry to manipulate the sound in response to the setting data.

2. The hearing assistive device of claim 1, wherein the presence activation sensor comprises an RFID reader.

3. A hearing assistive system, comprising:

a hearing profile tag comprising setting data for configuring the settings of a hearing assistive device; and

an adjustable hearing assistive device adapted to receive the setting data from the hearing profile tag, the adjustable hearing assistive device adapted to receive sound and manipulate sound in response to the setting data;

wherein the adjustable hearing assistive device includes a presence activation sensor adapted to activate the adjustable hearing assistive device to receive setting data from the hearing profile tag module in response to detecting a presence of the hearing profile tag device; and

wherein the presence activation sensor includes a triggering component selected from a group of triggering components consisting of;

a sound component;

a temperature component; and

a moisture component.

4. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the hearing profile tag comprises an RFID tag.

5. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the setting data comprises a hearing loss profile.

6. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the hearing profile tag is attached to a personal accessory.

7. The hearing assistive system of claim 6, wherein the personal accessory is a pair of eyeglasses.

8. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the hearing profile tag comprises eyeglasses having a first tag on a first ear piece of a frame of the eyeglasses and a second tag on a second ear piece of the frame.

9. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the adjustable hearing assistive device comprises:

a receiver adapted to receive sound;

hearing processing circuitry adapted to manipulate the sound received by the receiver; and

a controller coupled to the presence activation sensor and the hearing processing circuitry to receive the setting data from the presence activation sensor and to configure the hearing processing circuitry in response to the setting data.

10. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the presence activation sensor comprises an RFID reader.

11. The hearing assistive system of claim 9, wherein the hearing processing circuitry comprises:

a receiver to receive sound;

a converter to convert the sound to a digital signal;

a signal processor to manipulate the digital signal into a processed signal;

a converter to convert the processed signal to an analog signal; and

a speaker to output the analog signal as sound waves.

12. The hearing assistive system of claim 11, wherein the receiver comprises a microphone.

13. The hearing assistive system of claim 11, wherein the receiver comprises a telecoil.

14. The hearing assistive system of claim 11, further comprising an amplifier.

15. The hearing assistive system of claim 3, wherein the adjustable hearing assistive device is configured to, in response to being activated, interrogate the hearing profile tag module for the setting data.